Japan Recap : A love story about food, streetwear, & family

Yo! We meet again, internet. It's been a hot minute since I've been on this thing, but Kev and I just got back from a two week trip to Tokyo and I'm here to share a little of the inspiration I picked up while I was there through some photos I took.

This place is mad gorgeous, the people are polite and friendly, the streetwear is fresh as fuck, and the food ain't ever been better!

Takoyaki from a street vendor in Dotonburi, Osaka

Not all heroes wear capes...

Cmon bruh! Take all my money bruh!! Plz!

TSUKEMEN BOIIIII FWM

more street food from Nishiki Market in Kyoto

Issa pancake! We waited hella long for this pancake but bruh look how fluffly and buoyant this shit is! Shoutout Anwar for the recommendation.

Did some damage at the conveyor sushi bar

Japan's bread and pastry game unfuckwidable fr..

casual bites of crab sold on the streets no big deal

YUNG ERYN KIMURA BLESSED US WITH THIS UNAGI JOINT!! forever grateful

Like I said before, the streetwear out here in Japan is dope. Everyone's rockin their own style and doin it well. Not to mention, their customer service is on hit - greetings from everyone on staff, usually someone reassuring you it's all good if you wanna try something on and when you do, Yung Nihon Prince Charming is right there by your side ready for you to slide your foot right into that pair of shoes you fasho can't afford. But regardless, like everything else in that country, when they do something they do it to perfection.

WTAPS

Kev bought a boujie candle here

Their vending machines, for example, provide hot drinks if you're tryna get a quick coffee on your way to work, already sweetened with a dash of cream...like literally, them shits come out hot!! It's amazing.

After going all around Japan, from Osaka, Kyoto, Sonobe, Tokyo, Kawasaki, and Yokohama, we got to end our trip with my family out here. Trying to communicate with a huge language barrier was mainy as fuck and definitely put our weak ass high school Japanese to the test but there's no better feeling than connecting with family who's values are one in the same as my kin right here in the Bay! They brought us around to the Cup Noodles Museum and drove us around Yokohama, where my grandmother spent most of her childhood. My cousin has a restaurant out in Kawasaki, so they closed it down and fed us hella sushi to end the night. My little cousins kept it lit and taught us some Japanese while we were there. Shoutout to the youth! They're the most important.

This is a shameless plug..Open Daily (just wait for it, fam)

BUT of course, our most memorable moments in Japan were caught off camera and are moments my heart can never forget. Shouts out to everyone who gave us worthy recommendations, and a special shoutout to Yung Eryn who let us mob around the countryside with her for a day. Y'all had to be there for that - life changing!!

We'll be back soon. Maybe next time around we’ll be finding a permanent home out there.

Jess Tse is a second generation Asian-American. Born and raised in San Francisco, she developed an obsession for burritos and submarine sandwiches. Jess Tse loves to cook, paint, and stalk famous puppy Instagram accounts. She dislikes slow internet connection, shitty Uber & Lyft drivers, and bad news.